A N T I M O N Y : ITS HISTORY, CHEMISTRY, MINERALOGY ...
A N T I M O N Y : ITS HISTORY, CHEMISTRY, MINERALOGY ...
A N T I M O N Y : ITS HISTORY, CHEMISTRY, MINERALOGY ...
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CHAPTER TV.<br />
THE GEOLOGICAL OCCURKEFCE OF ANTIMONY ORES.<br />
THE principal ores of antimony that have any commercial value are :—<br />
L Antimony glance, Sb2S3; also known by the names "gray<br />
antimony ore," " stibnite," or " anthnonite." It contains 714 per<br />
cent, of antimony and 28"6 per cent, of sulphur.<br />
2. Native antimony. It occurs too rarely to be of any commercial<br />
importance.<br />
3. Valcntinite, Sb^O3; the rhombic form of the oxide of antimony,<br />
which is also known as "white antimony" or "antimony bloom."<br />
Tt contains 83*4 per cent, of antimony, and 16*6 of oxygen.<br />
4. tienarmontite, §b2O3; the cubic form of the oxide of antimony.<br />
5. Kermesite, 2Sb2Ss.Sb203; also known as " antimony oxysulphide,"<br />
"red antimony ore," "antimony blende," or "pyrostilbite."<br />
6. Cervantite, Sb.2O4; also known as " antimony ochre."<br />
When antimony ores, specially antimonite, undergo decomposition,<br />
the resulting alteration-products generally are: valentinite,<br />
sonarmontite, kermesite, and cervantite. According to Foullon,<br />
there is a case at Rozsdan in Macedonia where the southern part of<br />
the" vein carries antimony ore, while its northern part carries auripigment<br />
and some realgar. The antimonite has been oxidised to<br />
antimony ochre, valentinite, and red antimony ore, all accompanied<br />
by gypsum and sulphur.<br />
The principal types of antimony doposits are :—*<br />
1, Veins —The ore is generally found disseminated irregularly<br />
in voins of quartz ; sometimes, though rarely, it occurs in lenticular<br />
maHHca. The other gangue materials, besides quartz, are brown spar,<br />
calo-spar, and heavy spar. The products of decomposition of stibnite<br />
aro stiblito, antimony-ochre, valentinite, and senarmontlte; more<br />
rarely, also pyrostibnite, pyrite, bournonite, berthierite, galena, zinc-<br />
* tc Stilmito was one of the minerals formerly cited as having been originated in<br />
veins by volatilisation from lower sources. But it lias probably, in all cases, been<br />
derived from aulutions of alkaline sulphides" [Kemp).